Last Resort
by Arcturas
Summary: Once again Frenzy found himself wishing he was Rumble, because *Rumble* would never have let himself be tempted to join the enemy.
1. Part 1

Frenzy had always been amazed by just how easy it was to take down Optimus Prime. One wouldn't think so, considering how tiny he was and how huge Prime was; but somehow, every time Frenzy tried to tackle him, the Autobot was always knocked off-balance and ended up flat on his back underneath the Cassetticon.

Except this time. No, _this _time things had worked out the way they should have done all along, and Prime had been ready for the attack. Frenzy had launched himself toward the Autobot's chest as usual, but before he could connect a big blue hand reached out and _slaggin' caught him_.

And that was why Frenzy was currently sitting in a cell in the Autobots' brig, glaring daggers up at Prime, who looked totally unconcerned with the unfairness of the whole situation.

If only Megatron had brought Soundwave – or even any of the other Cassetticons – along on the raid that morning. Neither the Boss nor any of his brothers, not even Ravage, would _ever _leave one of their own behind. None of the other Decepticons present had given a slag when he was caught, though. Megatron probably figured he had deserved it, daring to attack Optimus Prime like that.

But it _usually_ worked!

He tuned back into the interrogation when it sounded like Prime had started begging.

"You can make this all a lot easier on yourself," the big commander was saying. "All you have to do is tell us what you know, and then we'll let you go free."

"I ain't tellin' ya nothin'," Frenzy spat back, scowling. He didn't actually know anything important at all, but that would be too embarrassing to admit. His scowl darkened even more when the guard standing behind Prime started laughing at him. It was that big red warrior, whatsisname, the one who had piledrivers like Frenzy did.

"That's enough, Sideswipe," Prime said, and then turned his attention calmly back to the prisoner. He had been in here trying to reason with Frenzy for most of the day, and he _still _didn't even seem close to losing his patience. The Cassetticon was beginning to suspect that he had even more patience than Shockwave, who had seemed like the calmest any mech could possibly get without being dead.

But then Prime gave a sigh, and Frenzy quickly shifted his glare back from the warrior. The Autobot leader had lifted a hand to rub his optics wearily, like humans did. It was a pointless action for a Cybertronian, and would have looked silly on anyone else, but for some reason Frenzy had to admit that it fit Prime's personality.

"Leave us, Sideswipe," Prime ordered, and the red warrior began protesting as Frenzy stared in surprise. So, Prime thought he could handle Frenzy alone, did he?

... not that Frenzy could do anything, anyway, because he was unarmed and the cell's energy bars were between him and Prime.

As soon as Sideswipe had been shooed out, and the door had cycled closed behind him, Prime eased himself down to sit on the floor outside the cell. It still didn't put him anywhere near optic-level with the Cassetticon, but at least he wasn't towering over the captive anymore. Frenzy watched him warily.

Those big blue optics met his small red visor, kind and gentle and ... sad? What could he possibly be sad about?

"Frenzy," Optimus Prime said softly, and the Cassetticon had to force himself not to shiver at the sound. The only one who _ever _said his name like that was Soundwave. For some reason, Prime's commanding voice speaking his name made it sound like he didn't hate Frenzy at all, and maybe even cared about him.

Feh, stupid Autobots and their compassion.

"I'd like to know something," Prime continued, not at all affected by the little Decepticon's glare. "Why are you so loyal to Megatron, even when he treats you as he did in the battle this morning?"

Where did that come from? Anyway, it didn't matter one bit _why _he followed Megatron; he was a Decepticon and one of Soundwave's creations, and it was his duty to—

But now that he thought about it, Prime did have a point. Megatron put up with Frenzy because of Soundwave and the others, but it was clear that he didn't consider him as anything more than a clone of Rumble or something. Rumble was one of Megatron's most trusted soldiers. If it had been _Rumble_ who had been captured in the battle ...

"None o' yer business," he finally answered. He realized that he really didn't have a good answer for why he was still loyal to Megatron, but he was not about to admit that to anyone.

And then Prime completely surprised him. "Will you spend the rest of your life being kicked around by Megatron? Or will you consider joining us, and being free?"

Frenzy could only stare at that, shock taking over him for a few moments before his outrage could build up.

"The other Decepticons treat you as little more than a drone. You may deny that, but I have seen it more times than I care to remember," Prime carried on, probably mistaking Frenzy's speechlessness for him actually thinking about the offer. "You deserve more than that. Every sentient being does."

Finally the anger burst out. "You want me to switch sides? No fraggin' _way_ am I ever gonna be a slaggin' _Autobot!_"

"Why not?" Prime's voice was still irritatingly calm.

"'Cause ... 'cause ... 'cause I just ain't gonna do it, that's why! I ain't doin' anything without Soundwave, so I ain't gonna change any sides unless he does! And good luck tryin' ta get _him _to defect, 'cause the Boss is more loyal to Megatron than anybody!"

"I see. But what if it didn't depend on Soundwave? If you could make the decision on your own, without being influenced by anyone else, what would you choose? To be looked down on among the Decepticons, or to be appreciated for who you are here with us?"

Frenzy scowled even more fiercely, annoyed that Prime just didn't get it. "I'm a Decepticon, and I'm always gonna be a Decepticon, so there's no point in thinkin' about anything else. I ain't a traitor."

Optimus Prime tilted his head a little, optics glowing softly, and Frenzy wondered if he was smiling under that mask. Or if he even had mouth components under there to smile with.

"I admire your conviction, even if I do not agree. I will not insist any further, but I want you to think about it. If you ever change your mind, the offer still stands. Believe it or not, Frenzy, we would be glad to have you join us."

And with that the Autobot leader rose to his feet, in one smooth motion that seemed to defy his huge size. He'd always moved like that, gracefully and purposefully. It made his enemies forget that he was just as powerful a warrior as Megatron. Frenzy couldn't help being a little envious, because even with his own small body he was annoyingly clumsy.

Prime looked sad again, but now there was no doubt in Frenzy's mind that he was smiling anyway. The whole expression threw the Cassetticon off so much that all he could do was glare back until Prime turned to leave the room.

Just as the brig door cycled open, Frenzy found his voice again. "Why do ya even care, anyway, Prime? You forget I'm yer enemy, here?"

The Autobot leader paused to look back. "No, Frenzy, _you _are not my enemy; only your programming is. The Decepticon tendency toward enslavement and cruelty – _that _is what I was created to fight. And I care because _my _programming is to care about every living being, in the hope that one day Autobots and Decepticons can overcome their differences and live in peace."

"Ha! Stupid Autobot. Not gonna happen," Frenzy sneered, turning away in annoyance at the lecture. He heard the door cycle shut behind Prime and footsteps fade down the hallway, but refused to look up again.

After silence had settled over the room he made himself wait a few dozen more astroseconds, to make sure no one was coming back to watch him again, before he gave in and curled up against the wall. Wrapping his arms around himself tightly, he offlined his optics and tried to figure out why he suddenly felt so lonely.

It wasn't Prime's sappy idealism, that was for sure. What were the Autobots thinking? Decepticons could never live in peace with anybody, they would probably die if they weren't allowed to be violent. Frenzy would rather shoot himself than give up fighting. He would also rather shoot himself than betray Rumble and Soundwave and everyone and become a weakling Autobot.

Was that the reason, then? He missed his twin and his Boss, and maybe his other brothers a little bit, too; but the feeling of being alone had never been this bad before. On the rare occasions he was captured, Rumble had always been there with him. This was the first time he had been held prisoner alone, without even any other Decepticons for company.

But _slaggit! _He was a Decepticon, he shouldn't be getting all mushy like this. What he _should _be doing was figuring out a way to escape. There had to be a way, the Autobots always underestimated the Cassetticons, so there just had to be some flaw in their security that he could take advantage of.

The easiest way out of here, of course, was to give up and pretend to join the Autobots, and then sneak off as soon as he got the chance. But knowing Megatron, he would find out somehow that Frenzy had "defected," and wouldn't believe it had just been a trick. Then he'd make Frenzy's life a living hell, if he didn't just kill him instead. And Soundwave and the others would probably be in trouble too. No, taking that way out just wasn't worth the risk.

But then what else could he possibly do, except sit here and hope Soundwave could convince Megatron that Frenzy was worth rescuing?

Those Autobrats had one thing going for them, at least: they would never leave one of their own behind, no matter how small and worthless. That was a stupid, risky tactic – but, just for a moment, Frenzy found himself wishing that his own comrades were that loyal.

* * *

It ended up only being two days, but to Frenzy it felt like he had been in that cell for a week, because after Prime's visit the Autobots had left him completely alone in the brig. No interrogations, no guards to taunt, nothing but his own thoughts and a security camera that he quickly grew tired of yelling at.

Frenzy discovered that he couldn't handle solitary confinement well, and was a nervous wreck when Optimus Prime finally appeared in front of the cell again. The Cassetticon hid his true mood as well as he could behind a defiant scowl.

"What, back for more? You gonna torture me now or somethin'?"

Prime ignored his jeers, and simply nodded a silent command to the black and white tactician standing beside him, who had his gun drawn. The tactician moved toward the control panel for the energy bars.

"We're letting you go," Prime announced. "Megatron has bargained for your release."

The bars in front of the cell flickered and died. The black-and-white came over to herd Frenzy out of the cell, though it wasn't really necessary. He was finally getting to go back to the others; there was no way he was going to put up a fight now and risk that. Once he saw them following, Prime led the way out of the brig and into the halls of Autobot headquarters.

His Decepticon confidence now fully restored, Frenzy couldn't resist a parting shot. "Looks like I won't be defectin' after all, Prime," he said smugly.

The Autobot leader glanced down, not breaking his stride.

"As I said before, my offer still stands. Remember that, Frenzy, because you may change your mind someday."

"As if," the Cassetticon sneered back, and the three continued walking in silence.


	2. Part 2

_**Warning:** Character death_

* * *

Galvatron lowered his smoking cannon. "Worthless slag," he growled, and turned away. He ignited his thrusters and took off from the small planet's surface, not even sparing another glance at the three dead mechs.

Rumble was useless. He had been hit in the legs by one of Galvatron's wilder shots, and was trying to drag himself over to where Soundwave lay. Ratbat was fluttering helplessly against the ground, screeching out his anger and grief. Buzzsaw was torn between trying to comfort his little brother and staring in shock.

That left Frenzy as the only one to take charge.

It wasn't fair! Sure, Galvatron was crazy, but why would he murder some of his most loyal soldiers?

Frenzy realized the answer to that as he looked numbly down at the bodies. Because Galvatron was not Megatron. He might have been rebuilt from Megatron, but he wasn't the one Soundwave and the Cassetticons had served faithfully for all those millions of years. Soundwave had done his best, but Galvatron just wasn't interested in subtle tactics like espionage. There was no reason for them to be valuable to him.

And now Frenzy was the only one of his surviving brothers who could still think straight, though he figured that was probably just because the awful truth hadn't sunk in yet.

He had to do something. He wasn't a medic, but all of them knew how to do basic repairs. Maybe the hollow feeling in his spark from the broken connections was wrong, and one of them could still be saved.

Soundwave was first. Frenzy scrambled up onto his creator's grey chest, careful to avoid the gaping hole through the center. No good. He could see all the way into Soundwave's empty spark chamber, which had cracked open. A sob ripped out from his vocalizer, but he forced himself not to break down yet. There were still his brothers to check.

He slid down to the ground and collapsed on his knees beside Ravage. The feline had been shot twice, once in his chest and then again through his head. Heads weren't important. Heads could be rebuilt. The only important thing was his spark ...

The panel just behind Ravage's front legs was coated with his own fluids. Frenzy traced his fingers around the edges, but had a hard time finding the clasps. Ah, there. He had to force the panel open, because the hydraulics weren't working. It really shouldn't have surprised him that the insides were dark and dead.

Lazerbeak was lying next to Ravage, and Frenzy couldn't hold back his sobs anymore as he turned to look. Lazerbeak with his pretty bright colors was cold and grey now.

Rumble finally reached them, and clamped his arms tightly around Frenzy's waist. The purple twin was already shaking with grief himself. Buzzsaw had given up and caught Ratbat's wing with his beak, dragging the smallest Cassetticon over to where the twins were. He dumped Ratbat on Frenzy's lap before settling against Rumble's back.

The four brothers curled up together against Soundwave's cold side, trying to comfort each other as best they could. Staying close together was the only thing that mattered.

* * *

Sometime later, Frenzy forced himself to move.

He stroked the lifeless metal under his hand as he sat up, dislodging Rumble, who had been slumped across his chest. Rumble growled in protest and curled around Ratbat.

Normally, Frenzy wouldn't touch a dead mech for anything. But Ravage wasn't just any dead mech. It was easy to forget how morbid this was, pulling the empty shells of Lazerbeak and Ravage into a Cassetticon-pile like they used to do back when they were ...

Frenzy trailed his fingers along the sleek armor beside him again, careful to avoid looking at Ravage's shattered head. He glanced over to find Buzzsaw with his wings draped across Lazerbeak's body.

He was starting to feel really sick. Maybe it was the shock wearing off and making him realize that their little family would never be whole again, or maybe it was the dread of knowing that he was going to have to be the leader now. At least until they got Rumble's legs fixed, which they couldn't do unless they found supplies somewhere.

Frenzy hated being in charge and having to make important decisions. Rumble was the one who liked doing that.

"We can't stay here," he finally said. Rumble just groaned and ignored him. Buzzsaw's optics lit up, and he raised his head a little to look at Frenzy.

"We'll be in trouble if anyone finds us. We gotta move." It was the other Decepticons who posed the greatest danger to them now, especially since Galvatron himself had executed the Boss for supposedly being a traitor. Soundwave had been the only one protecting them from any of the others who might have considered the Cassetticons easy targets. Now, there were no Decepticons left who would raise a servo to keep them from being slaughtered. For fun.

Buzzsaw cocked his head curiously. _Where?_

"I dunno. Somewhere off this rock."

Ratbat chirped angrily, peeking out between Rumble's arms.

"Yeah, I know, I don't wanna leave 'em either. But what are we gonna do? We can't take 'em with us."

"I ain't leavin'," came Rumble's muffled voice.

Frenzy gently smacked the back of his twin's helmet. "And what are we gonna do when we run outta energy, huh? We gotta find fuel, at least."

Buzzsaw flapped his wings. _Are we supposed to just fly all the way to another planet?_

"I hadn't gotten that far yet," Frenzy grumbled, settling back against Soundwave's side. "I just have a feelin' that we gotta go hide somewhere."

* * *

As it turned out, leaving the planet was easier than they thought. It wasn't long before the Cassetticons heard the droning of a ship's engines coming toward them.

The sudden burst of fear that they would be found and hurt finally made the brothers move. Buzzsaw scooped Rumble up in his claws and Frenzy carried Ratbat as they dashed for cover behind a ridge nearby.

Frenzy couldn't believe their luck as he watched a brightly-colored shuttle with a huge Autobot insignia touch down for a landing.

"Now's our chance!" he hissed. "We'll hide somewhere in there, and the Autobots'll never find us!"

The others looked doubtful at first, but finally agreed. Once the three unfamiliar Autobots had climbed out of the ship it was all too easy to sneak on board, even with Rumble's injuries. That was what they had been created for, after all. In the cargo hold they found some big empty crates, and climbed into one to hide.

Heavy footsteps warned the Cassetticons that their unwitting hosts were back. The Autobots' conversation made them stare in surprise at each other, their tiny red optics giving off the only light in their hiding spot.

_"Where should we put these guys?"_

_"I don't know, I just don't want to touch them anymore. This is disgusting."_

_"Stop being a prissy-bot. They may be Decepticons, but they deserve a decent burial. They should be laid to rest in the Decepticon shrine on Cybertron."_

_"But we're not going to Cybertron! Earth is in the opposite direction."_

_"Then we'll take 'em to Earth and let Command deal with 'em. Optimus Prime always did have a weakness for being 'honorable' to the enemy."_

Ratbat was shivering with excitement, but managed to keep quiet until the Autobots had gone. _They're bringing the others! We don't have to leave them!_

"Autobots are all a buncha suckers," Rumble chuckled, patting Ratbat on the head.

Frenzy was lost in thought, since something the Autobot said had struck a chord. Optimus Prime, alive? Some of the other Decepticons had brought back rumors about him being resurrected, but Frenzy hadn't been sure he believed them. Until he saw Prime with his own optics, he still wouldn't be sure.

But it brought to mind something Prime had told him years ago. _"My programming is to care about every living being..."_

Rumble was right, of course. Autobots _were_ suckers. Especially about cute little things that needed their protection. A plan was beginning to form in Frenzy's processor, and for the first time he actually felt confident being the leader.

"Hey, listen! When we get to Earth, we should go find Optimus Prime."

Dead silence greeted him for a long moment, before all three of the others burst out with varying reactions.

"Are you slaggin' _kidding?" _from Rumble. Ratbat squeaked nervously in agreement.

Buzzsaw nudged Frenzy with his beak to get his attention. _Are you sure that's a good idea?_

"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but that's the best chance we got. He told me one time that – that if we ever wanted to leave the Decepticons, he would let us join the Autobots. And we sure ain't goin' back to Galvatron after this, are we?"

"He prob'ly just toldja that 'cause he knew you were a soft-sparked idiot and you'd believe it."

"You weren't there, Rumble! He said he cared about everyone, 'Bots _and_ 'Cons. If we want someone to watch out fer us, then Prime's the best choice!"

"Slaggit, Frenzy, we don't need anyone to watch out fer us! We'll be fine on our own!"

Buzzsaw pushed his way in between them. _Be quiet, or they might hear you!_

The twins scooted angrily apart to sit on opposite sides of the crate, glaring at each other in the dark.

"At least I _have_ a plan," Frenzy whispered.

"Doesn't matter, anyway," Rumble muttered back. "Optimus Prime's dead."

"But Scourge said –"

"Scourge didn't even know Prime when he was alive. That orange slagger is the Prime now, end of story."

_Soundwave never said anything about it, _Buzzsaw pointed out.

Ratbat was on edge from the tension he could feel between his brothers. Unable to decide who to side with, he was huddled with Buzzsaw in the very center of the crate.

_I was on that mission too,_ he volunteered. _I remember the Autobots went to find his body, but after that I stayed inside Soundwave so I don't know. And then there was the Hate Plague, and Soundwave couldn't remember much that happened after that._

Silence fell over them for awhile. Frenzy was trying to come up with another argument for tracking down Optimus Prime, dead or alive, when he heard Ratbat's soft clicks of sorrow from thinking about their creator.

"Hey, it's ok," he said, leaning forward to touch his youngest brother. Ratbat all but tackled him, clicking louder, and Buzzsaw didn't wait long before joining them in another Cassetticon-pile.

Rumble held out for about five astroseconds before he gave up and joined them too.

"Sorry," he said, patting Ratbat's wing and leaning against Frenzy's shoulder. "We really shouldn't be fightin', huh?"

"Yeah," Frenzy agreed. They sat together in silence, listening to the hum of the ship's engines.

Only after he felt Ratbat drift into recharge did Frenzy turn his head to look down at Rumble. "Can we at least go see if Prime is alive or not? I mean, what else do we hafta do on Earth?"

"Sure," Rumble finally agreed, slipping into recharge himself.

Frenzy settled in to watch over the others on the long flight back to that miserable organic planet.

* * *

They waited motionlessly inside the crate as they listened to the clatter of mechs unloading the shuttle at Autobot City. Apparently none of the new Autobots recognized the Boss, because never once did they hear Soundwave's name spoken, even though the workers who climbed in to carry him, Ravage, and Lazerbeak out kept swearing and shouting about the "dead Decepticons."

Finally the doors to the cargo hold slammed shut, and the ship fell silent again. Frenzy carefully pushed Ratbat off his lap, and sat up to lift the top of the crate. He climbed out and then grabbed Rumble's arms, pulling his twin over the side with a boost from Buzzsaw. The four slipped from the hold into the passenger section of the shuttle, found that the Autobots had left the main hatch standing wide open, and dashed across the deserted loading docks.

The best way to start their stakeout, they had decided, was to find a good vantage point. Rumble remembered seeing a mountain right next to the city, which would work perfectly. With luck, Frenzy could sneak into the city and steal enough supplies to repair Rumble's legs. By then they should be able to find out if the rumors about Optimus Prime were true or not.

Buzzsaw was flying ahead of the others, carrying Rumble again, when he suddenly dropped to the ground near the top of the mountain. Frenzy and Ratbat dashed forward worriedly. They could barely believe their optics when they saw who was sitting on the overlook right in front of them.

Frenzy crept forward, unable to stop himself. "Prime?" he asked, hesitantly. "Ya really are alive."

The old Autobot leader turned his head slowly, noticing the Cassetticons for the first time. He didn't react, just sat there staring down at them with dull optics. Something was very wrong with this picture.

"Frenzy." When he spoke, his deep voice sounded just as flat as his expression. "What are you doing here?"

"Lookin' fer you," burst out before he could stop it. Frenzy scowled to himself, but when Prime didn't say anything he decided to continue. Rumble apparently wasn't going to stop him now that they had found Prime.

"Galvatron went after Soundwave, and now he's—"

Optimus glanced over at the other three Cassetticons, who were pressing close against each other and staring at the ground.

"Soundwave was killed?" There was a hint of emotion in Prime's voice now. Sounded like sympathy, which was more usual for the big guy. He seemed to be accepting the news distractedly, though, like he was in a daze or something. Frenzy wondered for a moment if Prime was in pain, and then quickly buried the thought because that was just the sappy type of stuff that Rumble mocked him about.

"I remembered what ya said about yer offer, if I wanted ta join ya. Not like we wanna be Autobots or nothin', but we ain't 'Cons anymore. An' I was wonderin', maybe ... if yer medic could fix Rumble? He's hurt real bad, and there's nowhere else ta go."

That's it, Frenzy. Pull that "helpless little youngling" act, with the big optics and the shaky voice and the sniffling. Most of the Autobots were huge suckers for that one.

The Optimus Prime he remembered from that long decade of battle on Earth would have surrendered in an instant. He would be wrapped around Frenzy's servo by now, mistaking the show of weakness for "conscience" or something, and the Cassetticons would find themselves with the most annoyingly attentive protector ever. They might have to endure some nagging to become Autobots, but it would be worth it in exchange for fuel and a safe place to stay.

The only problem with that plan, Frenzy realized as he met a blank stare, was that this was definitely not the same Prime. He only looked confused.

"Did I say that?" he finally mused, thinking deeply. "Yes, I suppose I must have."

"You don't remember?" Frenzy nearly whined. Whatever happened to _"we would be glad to have you join us__"_?

"I'm sorry, it's difficult for me to remember many things." The blue optics narrowed a little, in what was probably supposed to be a smile. "Dying seems to have taken a lot out of me."

That was _so_ not funny. Frenzy glared up at him.

Prime sat back and waved a hand vaguely toward the city below them. "You don't have to be Autobots to get medical aid. Just go down there and ask for it."

"And we won't get shot?" Frenzy asked suspiciously.

"The war's over."

All of the Cassetticons stared at him, shocked by that statement – and even more shocked by the way he said it, like it didn't matter all that much.

"We're rebuilding Cybertron, and encouraging any Decepticons willing to make a truce to join us as equals. If you wish to stay in Autobot City, then you can help with the integration here."

It was like a computer reciting a speech. This was Prime's life-long goal, and he didn't seem to care that he had finally accomplished it.

For some reason, that made Frenzy furious.

More of the Decepticons than Megatron had ever suspected used to admire Optimus Prime. He was a mech focused on one noble goal, and determined that everyone, whether friend or enemy, would live to see Cybertron at peace again. No Decepticon would ever admit it, but some of them actually wouldn't have minded seeing the Autobots win, or following Prime.

But now ...

Frenzy was desperately curious to find out what had happened that ended the war while he and his brothers were stuck on that distant planet. Prime hadn't mentioned Galvatron's fate, and if the insane tyrant was still out there somewhere, it wasn't much of a victory for the Autobots. More like the war had just dragged out too long and faded away. Not a satisfying thought at all.

More importantly, though: if Prime was able to wander off and sit up here staring at nothing in the middle of the day, it could only mean that he wasn't as important in the running of things as he used to be.

What was the point of making a truce with the Autobots if their only leader worth following wasn't the leader anymore?

The red Cassetticon stalked over and sat down right next to Prime, dwarfed beside him.

"What's wrong with ya, Prime?" he accused, glaring straight up. The angle hurt his neck struts, but he didn't move.

Almost absently, the Autobot reached down and scooped Frenzy up with one big hand, lifting him onto a raised knee joint. It was a horribly patronizing action, but Frenzy decided not to complain because his new perch made it easier for him to catch Prime's optics.

"I don't know what's wrong," came the answer. "And I'm only 'Prime' in name, now. The wisdom of the Matrix is gone."

"What does that hafta do with anything?"

"It's what made me who I am. Who I was, I mean. Without its guidance, I feel as if I no longer have a purpose here." He cycled his vents in a weary sigh. "I should not have been reactivated. Hot Rod and the others meant well, but my life ended long ago."

Frenzy clenched his fists as outrage bubbled up inside him. Apparently, he was going to have to tap into his "soft-sparked" side and pay Prime back for that conversation in the Autobot brig so long ago.

"You want a purpose, huh? Then just look over there, Prime!" He pointed over to his brothers. "Rumble's hurt bad, he prob'ly won't make it if he doesn't get help. And lookit Ratbat, he's so little all he can do is cry 'cause half his family's gone!"

_I am not! _Ratbat squeaked angrily, hitting Buzzsaw and Rumble as he flapped his wings in protest.

"We watched our creator and our brothers get murdered, 'cause Soundwave decided he would rather desert to protect us than send us on a suicide mission like Galvatron ordered! How much of a purpose do ya think _we_ got left?"

Prime stared at him. "Soundwave was your creator? I thought he was only your host..."

"Yeah." Frenzy could feel the pain coming back, but forced it down. First, he had to finish knocking some sense into Prime. _Then_ he could crawl into a hole and cry some more.

"I'm sorry."

"Are ya? 'Cause ya don't look very sorry. Ya look like yer sittin' here just feelin' sorry for _yourself _'cause yer precious Matrix is broken, while we're over here needin' help. Ain't that your purpose, to help anyone who needs it?"

Prime was speechless. The old sharpness of his optics was returning, and he slowly straightened up a little where he sat.

Frenzy had run out of things to rant about, and he looked away, slightly embarrassed by his outburst. A moment later he felt a huge hand rest on his shoulders and glanced up again.

"Thank you, Frenzy," Prime said. The familiar warmth was coming back into his voice, and from the way the plating around his optics moved, it was obvious that he was really smiling now. "That's exactly what it means to be an Autobot. I'd forgotten that, somehow. Thanks for reminding me."

"That ain't quite what I meant to do," Frenzy grumbled.

"Are you sure you don't want to become an Autobot?" Prime teased. "You already sound like one."

"Shut up," the Cassetticon scowled. He finally shook the hand off his shoulders and slid down Prime's leg to the ground. Now that Prime seemed almost back to normal, there were more important matters to think about.

The Autobot rose to his feet, servos whirring and joints creaking as he stood. Whatever Frenzy was planning to say next died in his vocalizer, halted by the realization that Prime suddenly seemed a lot older than he used to. It wasn't just his optics playing tricks on him – the commander was definitely missing his former graceful, controlled movements. He almost seemed ... _vulnerable,_ even discreetly stretching as if sitting on the ground had made him feel stiff, before he met Frenzy's optics once more.

"Now, Rumble needs to get to the med bay, doesn't he? I think I can help with that."

It wasn't the same old Prime who bent to pick up the purple twin, but Frenzy decided that he was a lot closer than the zombie they had seen at first.

Maybe if he bossed Prime around some more, he could get him back to his old self. That sure sounded like a lot of fun.

Frenzy grinned as he watched Buzzsaw and Ratbat flutter up to perch confidently on Prime's shoulders, and then had to run to keep up with the long strides as they all made their way back down the mountain.


End file.
